A plain guide to setting up an ancestor altar: what goes on it, the rules the tradition keeps, and how to tend it.
An ancestor altar is a set-apart place to honor your people. Not to worship them, because God stays God in this house, but to remember them, speak to them, and keep their presence in your daily life the way their pictures once kept it on your grandmother's mantle. That mantle was an altar. Nobody called it one, and everybody treated it like one.
What goes on it
Keep it simple and keep it theirs. A clean white cloth. Photographs of your people who have passed. A glass of fresh water. A white candle. And something they loved: the peppermints, the playing cards, the church fan, the recipe card in their hand.
The rules the tradition keeps
No photos of the living. This is the firmest rule on the list. The altar is for those who have crossed, and the living do not belong in that frame.
Keep the water fresh. The glass gets refreshed regularly. Stale water on an ancestor altar is like serving company old coffee.
Keep it clean. Dust and clutter tell your people what you think of them. A few faithful minutes a week is enough.
Speak plainly. Tell them the news. Ask for their guidance the way you would have across the kitchen table. They knew you. Formality was never the point.
Where to put it
A quiet spot with some privacy. Households differ on the details, and some keep altars out of the bedroom, so honor what your own family practiced if you know it. If you do not know it, a steady corner they would have liked is enough.
What comes from tending it
The ancestors speak back in their own ways, and dreams are one of their favorite doors. Decoding Your Ancestors' Messages covers how to know when they are visiting, and If You Dream of Snakes handles one of the big ones. I keep a light burning for mine, and How I Honor My Ancestors with the Protection Candle shows my own practice with My Grandmama Prayed For Me. If money is the lane you are working, the money altar is its own post.
Set the table for your people and keep it set. The ancestor work teachings go out on the email list, at the bottom of this page.